i love you Jesse
by Bondirescuelover
Summary: What happens when Jesse Braxton has cancer and Shantelle's the only one who can save him?
1. Chapter 1

Shantelle  
When I was a kid my mother told me that I was a little piece of blue sky that came into this world because she and dad loved me so much. It was only later that I realised that wasn't exactly true. Most babies are coincidences, I mean up in space you got all these souls flying around looking for bodies to live in, then down here on Earth two people have sex or whatever and bam coincidence. Sure you hear all these stories about how everyone plans these families but the truth is that most babies are products of drunken evenings or lack of birth control, they're accidents. Only people who have trouble making babies actually plan for them. I on the other hand am not a coincidence; I was engineered, born for a particular reason, a scientist hooked up my mother's egg and my father's sperm to make a pacific combination of genes. He did it to save my brother's life. Sometimes I have to wonder what would have happened if Jesse had been healthy. I'd probably still be waiting up there in heaven or whatever, waiting to be attached to a body down here on Earth. But coincidence or not, I'm here!

I arrived in town at 4'oClock, after jumping off my school bus I walked into the jewellery shop.  
"50 carat gold, hardly ever worn" I told the man as I put the gold necklace with a love heart and a locket.  
Within seconds he handed me over the cash so I walked out the door to meet one of my older brother's Heath who was waiting just outside for me.  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Heath asked me as we stopped outside the lawyer's office.  
Instead of replying I just nodded and walked inside. After knocking of Mr Campbell's door I walked in too see him sitting at his desk looking at me.  
"What is your name?" he asked.  
"Shantelle Buckton" I started as I took a seat before rummaging through my bag.  
"What can I do for you Shantelle?"  
"I want to sure my parents for the rights to my own body" I replied as I hand him a bunch of forms.  
"Would you repeat that, please?"  
"I want to sure my parents for the rights to my own body. My brother has leukaemia they're trying to force me to give him my body parts"  
"You're supposed to give him a kidney?"  
"He's been in Reno-failure for months now"  
"Well noone can force you to donate if you don't want to, can they?"

"They think they can, im under 18 they're my legal guardians well that's what I want you to tell them, they've been doing it to me for my whole life now" I told him.  
"You know what will happen if you don't give him a kidney, don't you?"  
"Yea, he'll die, theres a little over $800 here and I know that it's not enough but-"  
"Good for you" he replied.

Heath

When we got home, I wondered how much trouble we'd be in. Luckily for us mum was making dinner and dad-well dad's been in jail for well over 7 years now. Mum doesn't like to talk about him so noone mentions him. Darryl has always for some odd reason gets called Brax I guess it's a nickname from our last name Braxton or something like that, that's the only way I can think of him getting called that. Darryl in the lounge room like usual watching TV with our youngest brother Casey. But that's not the point; to be honest I honestly thought that mum would be at the hospital with Jesse.

Casey

We're all sitting around the dining room table eating away at our dinner. It's nice and peaceful at the moment.  
"Where's your necklace?" Mum asked Shantelle, I hadn't even noticed that she wasn't wearing it.  
I watched as Heath glopped before she looked at him before turning back to mum and replying "Oh I didn't feel like wearing it today"  
I walked slowly upstairs to past Shantelle's bedroom, I heard her voice on the phone I stood there for a while but she didn't say anything so I walked away and into my bedroom that I share with my pain in the ass of a brother Heath.

Heath

I walked through the front door trying not to make any noise so that noone would wake up. At shutting the door quietly I turned around to see mum standing there before me.  
"Hey buddy, what are you doing up?" She asked "Can't sleep?"  
"Can't sleep" I replied.  
"Look I'm gonna go to the hospital, spend the night with your brother, wanna come?"  
"Alright, yeah"

"I'm gonna make a coffee. Is everything ok?" she asked.  
"Yea" I replied although it was a complete lie.

Before long mum walked downstairs with Shantelle in her arms, I reached for the car keys as we walked out the door so mum could put Shantelle in the car. We arrived at the hospital within no time. I don't know what time it was when a lawyer type looking guy walked through the door with an envelope in his hands.  
"Mrs Braxton" he said, mum looked up and he continued "You've been served"  
"What is that?" Mum asked as she looked at Jesse who was lying in the hospital bed "Pretention for medical-mensperation. Not limit to donating her kidney" I watched as Shantelle got up and stood before her "Shantelle, what is this? Is this from you?"  
"Yeah, I got a lawyer" Shantelle explained.  
"You're suing me?" Mum asked "Honey what the hell is going on?"  
"I don't wanna do it anymore mum"  
"You don't want to do it anymore? That's it, you don't want to do it?"  
"No" Shantelle explained.  
"Well guess what, neither do I and neither does Jesse but it's not like we have a choice in this-"  
"But that's the thing, I do, I do have a choice"  
"Really is that so?"  
"Yeah"  
"That's your brother, have you forgotten that?"  
"No"  
"Do you know whats going to happen to him if you do this?"  
"Yeah, believe it or not mum I've actually thought about it"

Jesse  
Mum thanks for everything you've done for me, for always fighting my battles. Darryl I'm sorry you and Heath got into a lot of trouble and mum was always yelling at you two because of me. Heath, I'm sorry that I'd make you go agro and lose your temper because of something little or something that was so pathetic or just something dumb that I had said. They barely even knew Casey was struggling at school. I'm sorry Casey, I'm sorry I took all of the attention when you were the one who needed it the most. And to my baby sis who was always so very little, I'm sorry I let them hurt you, I'm sorry I didn't take care of you, it was supposed to be the other way around.

Darryl 

Mum's in the court room now with the judge and with Shantelle's lawyer Mr Campbell. I'm out here with Shantelle, Casey and Heath me and Heath like usual are arguing, getting on each other's nerves he can be a total pain in the ass at times but in the end he is my brother and there's nothing that I can do about it.

2 days later

Shantelle  
we're in the court room now mum and my lawyer have both talked although I wasn't being attention to anything that either of them had said. The doctors talked for what seemed like forever, they said that Jesse was a miracle, he should have never made it past 5 years old. They talked about the serological benefits of the donation. And how losing my kidney would affect the qualities of my life. They all said that I nothing was their fault ad it was a very complex problem, when put to the test most everyone said I should give Jesse my kidney, but they also said that I was too young to understand the situation fully and none of them said at what age I could understand. All in all they were like me, pretty confused!  
"The court calls Shantelle Braxton" The judge said.  
I made my way over to take a sit beside the judge.  
"Raise your right hand, you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the whole truth?" a guy that worked for the judge said.  
"Yep" I replied.  
"Please say your name for the record and sit down" he said.  
"Shantelle Braxton" I said before sitting down, mum made her way over to me and stood directly in front of me "Hi mum"  
"Hi sweetheart, you wanna tell us why we're here? Why you're doing this?" Mum replied.  
"For medical mensperation" I replied.  
"That's not what I mean; you love your sister, right? You know she's sick, why won't you help you?"  
Tears were starting to form in my eyes when I didn't reply I stared directly at my mum.

Heath

After walking out of the court room and outside I ripped up whatever I could find in my pockets that reminded me of Jesse. After punching a brick wall I walked back inside I walked into the court room.  
"Looking back at only Shantelle's point of view do you think you might have taken this too far?" Shantelle's lawyer asked mum.  
Mum nervously stared into her lap before looking up with tears in her eyes "Looking at only Shantelle's situation yes it is. But I have think about my entire family"  
"But Jesse comes first?" the lawyer asked.  
"Jesse's the sick one" mum replied.  
"So this is a trio situation? Compromising one child's life over the other. So where's the line?"  
"For Jesse its life or death"  
"Not for Jesse for Shantelle, she's why we're here"  
"Yeah but that's a trick question. Because Shantelle isn't the only person in this equation" Mum replied.

Shantelle

"So you're for medical mensperation?" Mum asked me.  
"Right" Heath replied from all the way at the back, he's leaning on the back wall with a bottle of alcohol in his hand.  
Everyone turned to look at him before I replied "Right"  
Mum turned back to me and continued "Is that it? Is that the only reason?" she asked.  
"That's the only reason" I added with tears in my eyes.  
"Are you sure?" Heath asked.  
"Hold please" the judge started as she looked at Heath "Mr Braxton is there something you wanted to say?"  
"I don't know, is there?" Heath asked as Brax got up and walked over to him.  
"Come on" Brax said.  
"Proceed please" the judge continued.  
"I just want to be in charge of my own body" I replied.  
"No you don't" Heath added.  
I watched as Brax sat them both down.  
"Want me to do something about this?" one of the security guards at the judge.  
"No, leave it, it's kind of interesting" She replied.  
"So you want to be in charge?" Mum asked me.  
"Yeah, it's my body I want to be able to make my own decisions about what I do with it" I replied.  
"No, no I know you Shantelle Braxton, and that's not it" Mum added

I watched as Brax and Heath talked, they both had tears in their eyes especially Heath.  
"And it doesn't add up, for a week now you've been avoiding the question. I can't tell you, I'm sorry; I don't wanna talk about it. You've been walking around like nothing's wrong, while your brother rots in that hospital" Mum added.  
"I just don't wanna do it anymore, ok?" I asked as tears fell from my eyes.  
"I don't believe you, you're hiding something" mum replied as Heath and Brax made their way towards us.  
"You are hiding something" Mum continued.  
"No im not" I replied.  
"People give their kidneys total strangers, you better start talking. Right now little girl" mum replied.  
"I am talking" I added.  
"Start telling me the truth"  
"I am telling you the truth"  
"You're not because if you are I don't know you" mum yelled.  
"Jesus Christ Shantelle, just tell them" Heath said as he reached us.  
"You shut up" I told him.  
"Tell them why we're here-" he added.  
"You promised me" I yelled over him.  
"In court Shantelle" he finished.  
"Don't do this" I cried.  
"God you people are so stupid" he added.  
"You promised" I yelled.  
"Jesse wants to die" Heath said.  
"Stop it" I replied.  
"He's making Shantelle do all this because he knows that he's not going to survive another operation" Heath told the judge.  
"That's a lie Heath" Mum replied.  
Heath turned to her and replied "No it's not, Jesse's dying and everybody knows it. You just love him so much that you don't want to let him go. But it's time mum. Jesse's ready!"  
"That's not true, Jesse would have told me" Mum replied.  
"He did tell you" Heath told her.  
"He did, he's told you a million times, you didn't want to hear it" Brax added.

Everyone's voices faded as a flashback of me and Jesse become clear. We're sitting on a picnic blanket, just the two of us, just lying there talking.  
"It's over, time to go" Jesse said.  
"No" I seemed to have said.  
"I need you to do me a favour Shantelle"  
I cried but replied "What favour?"  
"You can release me" she smiled before we both faded.  
"So Shantelle-"I was cut from my flashback to be bought back to hearing the judge's voice "For the record did you tell Jesse that you'd stop being a donor so that he could die?"  
"Yea" I replied.  
"And what did he say?"  
With no reply I was automically having another flashback, one of the two of us again just talking but down at the beach now. We're lying on the beach, just talking while watching the water.  
"Mum's gonna kill me, what am I supposed to tell her?" I asked.  
"Tell her that you're important to. Tell her you want to play soccer, tell her you want to cheerlead" Jesse replied.  
"She'll never believe me"  
"Yeah she will and you wanna know why? Because it's the truth!"  
"Oh boy, you scared?" I asked.  
"No, I know I'll be ok"  
"What do you think happens? I mean, where you go?"  
"I don't know baby"  
"Will you wait for me?"  
"What?" he asked his voice was sweet and calm?  
"If you go anywhere crazy, will you wait? I mean what I will do without you?"  
"If you're ever lost or scared, go to Summerbay"  
"Summerbay?"  
"Yeah, that's where I'll be!"  
I was torn from my thoughts once again.  
"What did he say Shantelle?" the judge asked me.  
"He said thanks"

I went home after the court session, Heath and Casey went straight to their rooms. I haven't spoken to Heath let alone any of them since what happened back there and to be honest I can't stand to talk to them.

My brother died that night I wish I could say that he made some miracle recovery but he didn't. He just stopped breathing. And I wish that I could tell you that something great came out of it, that through Jesse's death we could all go on living. Or even that his life had some special meaning, like they named a park after him or a street or that a spring court changed the law because of him. But none of that happened, he's gone, just a little piece of blue sky now, and we all have to move on. I ran away that night, not because Jesse died but because mum never seemed to pay any attention to me, she never payed any attention to me in the first place because she's always yelling at Brax and Heath for something that they did.

8 years later

Life is different now; a lot has changed in the last few years. Mum went back to work, rebuilt her practice and then made a very nice living but died last year. Dad's still in jail so that hasn't changed. But as for my three older brothers Brax, Heath and Casey, to be honest I haven't seen or heard from any of them for a very long time. I'll never understand why Jesse had to die and we all got to live, there's no reason for it I guess. Death's just death! Nobody understands it. Once upon a time I thought I was put on Earth to save my brother, but in the end I couldn't do it. I realised now that wasn't the point. The point was that I had a brother he was fantastic, and one day I'm sure I'll see him again, but until then our relationship continues.


	2. A new beginning

A new beginning

Shantelle  
Staring out the window my car was already packed, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like in Summerbay, I've been told by Nicole Franklin that the place is absolutely amazing and heaps beautiful there although she doesn't live there no more she now lives in the city with her boyfriend Angelo Rosetta and her son George. Grabbing the last of my boxes I stared out the window to see my friends Riley and Emma standing there waiting at my car. Closing the door behind me I let the memories of my boyfriend, ex-boyfriend Ryan Lucas escape from my mind. Just when he was out of my mind I heard the front door open, running up the stairs stopping before me was Ryan Lucas. Staring at him I had nothing to say, walking out of the house with my boxes I wasn't up to talking to him, not now not ever.  
"I'm sorry things ended this way" Riley was telling me.  
"Me too" I sighed as I packed the last of my boxes into my car "only because I'm leaving"  
"Keep in touch, we'll miss you" Emma chimed in.  
Hugging the both of them tears fell from my ears ruining my mascara, climbing into my car I turned to engine on. Waved to the girls before driving away and never to return. I'm not sure what time it was when I pulled over for a toilet break and something to eat but I figured I was almost at Summerbay. After eating I headed back on the road for a while to wait until I reached Summerbay.

Stepping out of my blue X-r6 wearing black boots, denim blue short shorts, and a grey singlet top and black sunnies I was staring out at the beautiful ocean. With the wind blowing my brown hair into my fix I couldn't make out who the three boys that had emerged from the water were, whoever they were they looked familiar. I stood there for ages, half an hour to be exact. I watched as a blonde haired brown eyed guy walked by, smiling at me I couldn't help but blush a bit smiling back. Reading the back of his red and yellow shirt it read 'lifeguard'.  
"Hi" he smiled.  
"Hi I'm Shantelle, I'm in the bay" I smiled back brightly.  
"Romeo" he beamed as he held out his hand.  
Taking his hand I smiled as he handshaked my hand, before letting it go after a while.  
"It was nice to meet you" I smiled "I'll see you around" I added before turning to walk towards my car.  
"Nice car you got there Shantelle" he nodded, I turned around to see him standing there with another guy "We should hang out sometime if you want?"  
"That'd be great, I'd love to Romeo" I smiled as I climbed into my car before driving away.

Casey  
Walking along the beach Brax was out in the water again, as for Heath last I heard he was at the hospital with Bianca and April, they were waiting for news on Dexter. Walking up the pathway I caught sight of a beautiful brown haired girl with blue eyes.  
"Hey, wait up" I called after her.  
She turned around smiling at me "Have I met you before?"  
Ignoring her question I laughed "you look so familiar, where have I seen you from?"  
"My name's Shantelle and you are?" she asked her voice was calm and gentle; she sounded just like my younger sister Shantelle.  
"Casey" I replied clearly my throat.  
"It was nice meeting you Case-"  
"Case?" I asked.  
"Huh?"  
"You called me Case!"  
"I've got to go" and just like that she walked away not even turning back to look at me, not even once.  
Pulling my phone out of my pocket I called Heath immediately he picked up on the second ring.  
"Hello Casey?" he asked through the phone.  
"Ah yeah Heath" I started; I wasn't sure what to tell him. Should I start by telling him that our sister was in the bay? Well I'm not even sure if it is my sister.  
"Casey, I don't have time for this, what is it?" he asked angrily.  
"There's a new girl in the bay-"  
"And?" he asked "is that it? You called me to tell me that there's a new girl in the bay? Goodbye Casey I'll see you at home!"  
He didn't even give me a chance to explain, he just hang up. Walking along the beach again Shantelle was nowhere in sight, I spotted Brax drying himself off after his surf; racing towards him he looked happy to see me.  
"Hey Case" he started "I had such a great surf, you should get out there its so relaxing today"  
"Yea ah thanks maybe later" I told him. What was I meant to tell him? He wouldn't believe me if I said Shantelle was in the bay, would he?  
"What's wrong Case?" he asked "Look I'm later for work, swing by later and I'll well you can tell me than"  
And just like that he grabbed his board and headed for home.

Romeo  
Walking along the beach doing my duty patrolling the area Indi must have spotted me because after a while she was by my side talking to me.  
"How's Dex?" I asked trying to start a conversation that wasn't boring.  
"No news yet, he's still the same as before" she told me.  
"I really hope he pulls through, he's a great guy. April really loves him you know" I smiled brightly.  
"Yeah me too, I mean not just for my sake or her sake, but for dad's sake and Sasha's sake and even for his sake as well" Indi informed me "Everyone really does love him even though he's a bit of a, how can I put it nicely? A nerd!" she laughed "but I love him"  
Walking further along the beach I spotted Shantelle up ahead smiling at me.  
"Hey Romeo" Shantelle smiled from a far.  
"Hey" I replied.  
"Who's that?" Indi asked whispering it so only I could hear.  
"She's new in the bay, just moved in today"  
"Romeo I just wanted to say" she started as Shantelle neared us, saying it loud enough so Shantelle could hear this next part she did "I love you"  
Shantelle stood speechless, she didn't know what to say.  
Indi kissed my lips softly; pulling away Shantelle was no longer standing there.  
"I do, I really do" she laughed.  
"No you don't, Indi you gave up your childhood. You miss proms and games and high-school events, and people say it's awful… I say it was a good trade. You miss something but I think I gained more than I lost"  
"What are you trying to say?" she asked me confused.  
"Indi you said so yourself that this will never work better us-"  
"Romeo I love you, I always have and I always will. I was, Romeo I didn't know what I was saying but I really do love you. I was, I guess I was trying to get over you but I can't-"  
"No Indi that's not it. You're lying to yourself, and why? Don't ask me why, you know why."  
"Romeo I don't understand, days ago you were saying you want me to give us a second chance and when I finally decide I want to you no longer want to, Romeo what is this?" she yelled.  
"Indi you and I both know its all fun and games until someone gets hurt, we're done this so many times. I'm not going to get hurt again by you, I'm taking a stand and leaving you for good, you and I will and can never be together ever again" I yelled as I stomped away.  
I was acting childish about the whole thing, I didn't know what to do. For some odd reason I had an urge, a need to talk to Casey.

Walking out of the locker room still dressed in my lifeguard uniform when my shift ended I had my bag slung over my right shoulder. Walking right into Casey I still felt like I had to talk to him. It was like we were friends and he was the only one I could talk to, is this what girls do?  
"Casey" I started nervously, why was I acting so nervous around him? I'm a guy, he's a guy we both like surfing and this is what we do.  
"Oh hey Romeo" he half smiled "what's up?"  
"Do you, ah do you want to grab something to eat?" I was acting like such a girl, like I was asking him out on a date or something.  
"Umm yeah sure I mean I have nothing better to do" he replied confused.  
We walked towards the diner in silent, neither of us said a word until we took a table.  
"What can I get you Romeo?" Irene asked with a pen and paper in her hand.  
"Can I get a salad, chips and chicken schnitzel thanks oh and a chocolate milkshake" I told her.  
"And for you Casey?" she asked him.  
"I'll get the same but with a bottle of water thanks" he smiled.  
When she left it went quite again, neither of us said a word as time went by it was starting to get tense and rather awkward.  
"Casey the reason I asked you out" I started, I couldn't believe it "not like that I mean like-"  
"I get what you mean Romeo, as friends" he laughed it off.  
"Yeah as friends that's want I mean. I asked you because for some odd reason I had this urge this need to talk to you about something!" I informed him.  
"And that is?" he asked curiously.  
Just as I was about to reply my jaw dropped, he caught my glance and turned towards the door. In walked Shantelle looking as beautiful as before maybe even more.  
"My oh my" I started as I drooled a bit.  
She was wearing black shorts that hugged her body, a gold sparkly shirt and silver ballet flats. Her beautiful brown hair was curled with the fringe pinned back so it wasn't covering her eyes. Walking towards me and Casey her eyes stood out, they were this pure amazing gorgeous sea, ocean blue eye were drop dead gorgeous. I couldn't stop smiling when she reached us, my cheeks burned a bright red colour.  
"Romeo are you alright?" she asked kindly, her voice was soft and warm, it was like she cared.  
"Yes um I'm a fine thanks" I mumbled, why was I suddenly unable to talk properly?  
"Romeo about what you said before, I get it I totally get it, I think anyway! I'm ah I've got to run" Casey told me "Text me later Romeo" he smiled as he playfully hit my back "See ya Shantelle" he called a she bolted out the door.  
I watched as Shantelle took a seat smiling at me, I wanted nothing more than to hold her tight in my arms and to never let her go.  
"Romeo" she smiled.  
"Yes?" I asked shaking my mind clear of my thoughts about her "What's up?"  
"Who was the girl before? The one from the beach? You know the one that kissed you, she's not your girlfriend is she?"  
Laughing slightly I replied "Oh you mean Indi" I giggled "No she's not she's my ex-wife though" she looked confused so I had to explain it to her "she's still inlove with me, well she claims to be but i'm totally over her"  
"Well that's good then" she smiled, I wasn't sure what she meant "Shall we go back to mine?" she asked.  
I nodded as I followed her out of diner leaving money on the counter that would cover the cost of the food and drinks that Casey and I had ordered previously.

Brax  
Emerging from the water the next morning the surf was beautiful; I can't believe Heath and Casey said no to having a surf with me. Well I can understand why Heath said no, Rocko was getting discharged today and he had to be there, I totally understand but Casey, well Casey has his bail thing in a few days so I suppose I can see where he's coming from to. Drying my head I looked up to see the most beautiful girl standing at the fence smiling at me. I'm sure she liked what she saw, I mean who wouldn't? Laughing a little I smiled as I throw my board onto the sand running my fingers through my hair. Walking towards me she was wearing a short black beach dress with her swimmers on underneath, I know this because I could see the strips. Her costumes were a gorgeous blue colour, her eyes were an ocean and sea blue colour.  
"Brax" I said holding my hand out.  
"Shantelle" she smiled as she took it.  
"So you're new in town?" I asked, Casey had told me she was.  
"Yeah small town?" she asked.  
"You betcha, my brother told me you were new"  
"Romeo?" she asked.  
"Nah Casey"  
"Oh right ok then" she laughed a little.  
We sat on the beach talking for ages it was good to meet someone so, like me I guess.  
"So how long are you here for?" I asked.  
"Getting rid of me already?" she laughed "if I found a reason to stay then I guess I'm here forever but until then, who knows"  
"You're reasons right here" I laughed.  
"I don't know what to say to that but thanks"  
"I'm just saying that if you need someone, a friend, a relationship I'm here"  
"It feels like I've known you all my life"  
"I know" I started nervously "you remind me of someone, a family member or something but I don't know who"  
"So do you, you remind me of someone to but im not sure"


End file.
